Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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2329. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if all external legal fees incurred by her Department, and by any bodies under its aegis, are charged at negotiated discounted rates; how fees are monitored for compliance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41497/25]

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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2330. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department conducts regular benchmarking, or market testing, to ensure that the rates paid for legal services, solicitors and barristers, represent value for money for the taxpayer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41515/25]

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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2331. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to detail the procurement processes used when engaging external legal firms and barristers, including whether panels are used; how often these are refreshed; the criteria used for selection and performance review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41533/25]

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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2333. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the internal oversight that exists within her Department to monitor the scope, duration, and cost escalation of legal services once engaged; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41569/25]

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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2334. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department makes use of capped fee arrangements, fixed-fee briefs, success-based fee models or other such arrangements in its legal engagements; if not, the reason such options are not considered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41587/25]

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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2335. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any legal engagements have exceeded their initial estimated or approved cost in the past three years; if so, the number of such cases and total overrun; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41605/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 2329 to 2331, inclusive, and 2333 to 2335, inclusive, together.

Litigation is dealt with on behalf of the Department by the Attorney General’s Office, the Chief State Solicitor’s Office or the State Claims Agency who engage lawyers to act for my Department where necessary. The costs of any external solicitors or counsel in such litigation are not managed by my Department.

The information requested from the State Bodies under the aegis of my department, is an operational matter for the State Bodies themselves. I have referred the Deputy’s question to the Agencies and have requested a response. This will be provided to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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2332. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has conducted any audits or reviews in the past five years on legal fee spend; if so, to publish the findings or summaries of those reviews; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41551/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Children, Disability and Equality have not conducted any audits or reviews of legal fee spending in the past five years.